What's good for Marion County's economy, is good for Pee Dee

Marion County seems to be on a roll, that, if continued, could make it the poster child for economic recovery.
Last week, ACAS Landing Gear Services announced a $5 million investment in Marion County that’s expected to create 300 jobs during the next five years.
Marion County Economic Development Commission Executive Director Rodney Berry said it’ll take up to nine months for the company to move and assemble the necessary equipment at the former Sara Lee building on S.C. 576.
The correlation between the recruitment of Boeing’s second final assembly facility for the 787 to North Charleston and ACAS Landing Gear’s decision to locate in Marion County, about 100 miles away, is clear. The operations at the Marion County ACAS will focus on re-manufacturing landing gear and landing gear components. ACAS services the Boeing 707, 727, 737, 747, 757, 767 and 777. The company also provides aircraft capabilities for Airbus and an array of military and commercial aircraft.
What’s also obvious is the impact it will have on Marion County’s unemployment rate. According to the latest S.C. Employment Security Commission figures, Marion County had the state’s second-highest unemployment rate in December at 22.6 percent.
The ability of county economic development officials, members of the North Eastern Strategic Alliance, Marion County Legislative Delegation members, local government officials and education leaders to make economic recovery a priority and work together to make it happen is certainly commendable.
And while each of those individuals can claim a share of the credit for bringing an industry like ACAS to Marion County, the unsung heroes are the people in the county’s work force and those eager to join — or, in some cases, rejoin — it. ACAS plans to begin hiring for positions in March through the Marion One-Stop Workforce Center.
Sopakco, which has been long established in the Pee Dee with facilities in Mullins and Bennettsville and known for producing Meals-Ready-To-Eat for the military, announced Nov. 12 the opening of a second Mullins facility to manufacture bowls and containers. That $10 million investment is expected to provide jobs for 50 people.
On Sept. 29, Softee Supreme Diaper Corp. announced a $6 million investment in Marion County for a facility to manufacture disposable baby diapers and create 262 jobs. The company had a job fair last week that drew about 400 prospective employees.
On May 16, 2008, Carolina AAC LLC announced it was bringing 36 jobs to Marion County with a $17 million investment in a facility to make Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (AAC) for commercial and residential use. According to the state Commerce Department, AAC offers an energy-efficient and fire resistant alternative to standard building materials, and the establishment of this Marion County facility is expected to be a catalyst for creating many “green” construction jobs throughout the Southeast.
“The announcement by ACAS substantiates that Marion County is back in the game competing for high-quality skilled jobs,” Berry said.
The reasons surrounding Pee Dee counties should care about Marion County’s economic progress is simple. Not all the employees at these companies are going to be Marion County residents, for one. But perhaps more important is the fact that this economic development creates a ripple effect in the regional economy, with businesses springing up to support these industries and their employees.
In short, what’s good for Marion County’s economy is generally good for the Pee Dee’s economy. And that’s something we all can celebrate.